Celebration of My Mom's Service to Jesus

Last week, my mother, Judy Kathleen Davenport, passed away from this life into glory.

The irony of her funeral is that the spotlight of center stage was the last place that you ever would have found my mom. She was not the kind of person who sought out the limelight of people’s attention or the applause of men. Rather, my mom was the consummate servant of Jesus who faithfully did her acts of love in the quiet shadow of her Savior.

When I sat down to write the funeral message to try to articulate what my mom’s life meant to us, I continually found myself coming back to Jesus’ example in John 13.

Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. John 13:1

One of the main reasons why I celebrate mom’s life is because my mom was a woman who showed us the full extent of Jesus’ love. The greatest compliment that I can give to my mother and father is that we grew up in a home knowing the story of Jesus and the full extent of God’s love for us. Each night before we would go to bed, my mom would tell us Bible stories, help us to memorize scripture and make up songs to help us learn the books of the Bible. Whenever we were in pain, worrying or needing an extra dose of love, my mom would sing to us hymns and other songs about the promises of God. For showing us the full extent of God’s love, I give our God praise.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power…and that he had come from God and was returning to God. John 13:3

I also give thanks to our God for how my mom also believed all things were under the power of God. Even though my mom was small in stature, she had a giant sized faith. There was nothing too big or too small for my mom to pray about. One time when I was home from Bible College mom told me how she had prayed for God to help her find a bread machine at a garage sale that morning. Before I could tell her how God didn’t care whether she had a bread machine or not, my mom began to plug in her new bread machine.

Mom was also faithful in praying for the big things as well. As some of you may recall, eight years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through this news, my mom asked God to take this ailment away from her. Through God’s mercy and power, God healed her.

While it would be easy to our attention on how mom died too young, I have decided that I will celebrate God for performing a miracle in my mom’s life and allowed her to live an extra eight years. As I look through the Word of God, miracles are never intended to last forever. After Moses parted the Red Sea, it went back to one body of water. When Jesus turned water into wine, it was consumed and turned back into water. Even after Lazarus was raised from the dead, he died again. Instead, miracles are given to us to show us the power of God and to give Him praise. For giving me a mom who believed all things were under the power of God, I give God praise.

So Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Verse 4

Verse 12 Jesus said, “Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me “Teacher” and “Lord” and rightly so for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should was one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

I praise God for using my mom’s life to teach me what it is to be a servant of Jesus. Whether changing diapers in the nursery, washing dishes in the church basement or loving on the residents at the assisted living home or visiting shut-ins, my mom simply served God by serving others.

While my mom was a servant through in through, one of the questions that has been on my heart is, “Why did she do it?” Why did she do all of those thankless jobs? Why would anyone be willing to give of themselves to the people around them and do the things that were the furthest thing from glamorous?

I think mom knew the same wisdom that Jesus expressed when he said, “I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him”. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

As you may know, this word, “blessed” is a word that implies the greatest happiness one can have. In the upside down nature of the gospel, Jesus says, “You will find ultimate happiness in service to others.” But if you probe this thought a little deeper, this service of others is not just for selfish gain. Rather, it is the selfless service of one following the Master –Jesus Christ. When one studies the word, “master” one will find that it holds the meaning “he to whom another belongs…and has decision power over.”

Jesus is saying, “if you want to live a life to the fullest, it comes through handing it over to me completely –your finances, your decision making process, your worries, your fears, your mistakes, your illnesses and even your sin. He is saying, “I want it all…so that He can make it better and give you life abundantly.”

Anyone who knew my mom knows that the master over mom’s life was Jesus Christ. For giving me a momma who followed Jesus with all she was, how can I help but give praise to our God!